Best Difficult games on Steam

Unlike generic lists, our difficult game recommendations are based on a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews. We believe that player feedback is the most reliable indicator of a game's true quality and enjoyment. Our algorithm evaluates user reviews to identify difficult games that consistently deliver exceptional experiences. This means you can be confident that our lists feature only the best difficult games on Steam, validated by the community itself.

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LOVE

Love is a reductive platforming game with a retro aesthetic and a focus on a challenging difficulty. It has an custom respawn system, 16 levels, 12 track soundtrack, competitive scoring, and a simple-to-use level creation feature.

Price -58% 1.00€
Rating 8.6
Release 07 Feb 2014

realMyst: Masterpiece Edition

Released in 2014, experience one of the first 3D adaptations of the renowned puzzle-adventure game Myst! Each discovery you make, every puzzle you solve, will bring you closer to reversing a wrong that has gone unchecked for ages.

Price 17.49€
Rating 8.5
Release 05 Feb 2014

Oniken: Unstoppable Edition

When a global war nearly decimated humankind, an evil military organization called Oniken takes advantage of the situation to dominate and oppress the few remaining survivors. Even though any resistance to this organization seemed hopeless, a small rebel movement organizes strikes against Oniken.

Price 4.99€
Rating 7.6
Release 05 Feb 2014

Jets'n'Guns Gold

Jets'n'Guns is a heavy piece of ground shaking rock blasting action with graphics and special effects that will blow you eyes out! Enjoy yourself in almost-insane action adventure of saving the universe from the deadly threat of more than 270 unique monsters in the campaign of 43 levels.

Price 7.79€
Rating 8.3
Release 05 Feb 2014

Aqua Kitty - Milk Mine Defender

Aqua Kitty is a fast paced retro styled submarine arcade shooter with optional 2 player local Co-op.Blast through hordes of mechanical sea monsters in your kitty sub and defend the deep sea milk mining kittens!THE MILK MUST FLOW!

Price 6.89€
Rating 8.1
Release 03 Feb 2014

Octodad: Dadliest Catch

Octodad: Dadliest Catch is a game about destruction, deception, and fatherhood. The player controls Octodad, a dapper octopus masquerading as a human, as he goes about his life. Octodad's existence is a constant struggle, as he must master mundane tasks with his unwieldy boneless tentacles while simultaneously keeping his cephalopodan...

Price 13.99€
Rating 9.1
Release 30 Jan 2014

Our Darker Purpose

Journey to the dark heart of the Edgewood Home for Lost Children in this fiendishly difficult action RPG!When her teacher stepped out of the classroom a month ago, Cordy never imagined he would be gone for good. Now her fellow students have turned on each other as the school descends into chaos.

Price 14.99€
Rating 7.8
Release 29 Jan 2014

Hero Siege

Hero Siege brings you the loot with a legion of playable character classes, procedually generated world, over 1000 unique items, endless replayability and a wide variety of dungeons and dangerous zones to explore!

Price 7.79€
Rating 6.8
Release 29 Jan 2014

Original War

An American geological expedition, under a UN mandate, assesses the natural resources in a distant part of Siberia, deep in the trackless steppes of Eastern Russia. But instead of oil, they discover a deposit of a hitherto unknown mineral.

Price 9.99€
Rating 9.0
Release 27 Jan 2014

Might & Magic X - Legacy

After a decade, a Might & Magic® RPG is back with both the unique core formula and a new set of improved and fine-tuned features. The best RPG of its class!In the wake of the spectacular events in Might & Magic® Heroes® VI, you will play in a party of four adventurers entangled in intrigue and political machinations unfolding in...

Price 29.99€
Rating 6.5
Release 23 Jan 2014

KAMI

KAMI is deceptively simple: fold out coloured paper to fill the screen in as few moves as possible. Relaxing and easy to pick up, you'll soon find yourself deep in contemplation to perfect each puzzle. Created by State of Play, famous for their handcrafted aesthetic, KAMI has been created with real paper in an elegant Japanese theme.

Price 3.99€
Rating 9.0
Release 23 Jan 2014

Blackguards

What happens when the only hope of a threatened world lies not with heroes in shining armor, but in the hands of a band of misfits and criminals? Blackguards, a new turn-based strategy RPG, explores this very question. You will discover over 180 unique hex-based battlegrounds within a dark and mature story of crime, drugs, and murder.

Price -90% 1.00€
Rating 6.1
Release 22 Jan 2014

Hitman: Contracts

Enter the world of a HITMAN - a world of crime, sin and greed. Delve into the mind of Agent 47 and encounter his greatest adversaries, completing the work that made him so brutally efficient and shaped him as an assassin. Eliminate your targets by any means necessary. There are no rules... only the contract, signed in blood.

Price -89% 1.00€
Rating 8.3
Release 21 Jan 2014

METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE

Developed by Kojima Productions and PlatinumGames, METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE takes the renowned METAL GEAR franchise into exciting new territory with an all-new action experience. The game seamlessly melds pure action and epic story-telling that surrounds Raiden – a child soldier transformed into a half-human, half-cyborg ninja who...

Price -57% 8.54€
Rating 9.5
Release 09 Jan 2014

Kingdom Rush - Tower Defense

Get ready for an epic journey to defend your kingdom against hordes of orcs, trolls, evil wizards and other nasty fiends using a vast arsenal of towers and spells at your command!Fight on forests, mountains and wastelands, customizing your defensive strategy with different tower upgrades and specializations!

Price 9.99€
Rating 9.5
Release 06 Jan 2014

Gunman Clive

In the year of 18XX, the west is overrun by thugs and outlaws. A group of bandits have kidnapped Mayor Johnsons daughter and are spreading havok across the land. Only Gunman Clive can bring order to the west and save the girl!Jump and shoot your way across 16 diverse and challenging levels and fight massive bosses.

Price 1.99€
Rating 8.2
Release 03 Jan 2014

Teslagrad

A journey begins... A treacherous tower... Unravel its mysteries!Discover the secrets kept in the long abandoned Tesla Tower!Magnetism and other electromagnetic powers will help you explore a non-linear world of beautiful hand-drawn environments, in a steampunk-inspired vision of old Europe.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.1
Release 13 Dec 2013

Tales of Maj'Eyal

Tales of Maj’Eyal is a roguelike RPG, featuring tactical turn-based combat and advanced character building. Play as one of many unique races and classes in the lore-filled world of Eyal, exploring random dungeons, facing challenging battles, and developing characters with your own tailored mix of abilities and powers.

Price 6.99€
Rating 9.2
Release 12 Dec 2013

Small World

CONTROL FANTASY RACES, SET OFF TO CONQUER NEW LANDS, OVERTHROW YOUR ENEMIES AND CLAIM THE VICTORY! In this digital adaptation of the legendary board game, dive into a world inhabited by whimsical fantasy races.

Price 9.99€
Rating 6.7
Release 11 Dec 2013

Race The Sun

You are a solar-powered craft. The sun is your death timer. Hurtle towards the sunset at breakneck speed in a futile race against time. Delay the inevitable by catching speed boosts which reverse the setting sun - if only for a moment. Don't crash, stay in the light, and don't slow down!

Price 9.75€
Rating 9.1
Release 09 Dec 2013

Oozi: Earth Adventure

Oozi: Earth Adventure is a classic 2D platformer with old school gameplay - no puzzles, no punishment, just 100% pure classic platforming fun! Its most prominent features are HD visuals and beautiful hand-drawn art, but despite its visual style, it’s a good fit for all kinds of gamers!

Price 9.75€
Rating 8.2
Release 05 Dec 2013

Dominions 4: Thrones of Ascension

You are a God! You are master and ruler of a loyal nation. You have unimaginable powers at your disposal. You have claimed this world as yours. But there are others who stand in your way. You must defeat and destroy these pretenders. Only then can you ascend to godhood and become the new Pantokrator.

Price 33.99€
Rating 8.6
Release 05 Dec 2013

Savant - Ascent

A malicious orb has cast Savant out of his tower and transformed his surroundings into dangerous enemies!Dodge and shoot your way back up the tower, and blast down waves of enemies as you make your way towards the top! As you progress, you unlock CDs that not only give you new tracks to play to, but also grant you powerful new abilities!

Price -50% 0.99€
Rating 8.8
Release 04 Dec 2013

Vector

Vector is an exciting, arcade-style game featuring you as the exceptional free runner who won’t be held down by the system. In this totalitarian world freedom and individually is nothing more than a distant dream. But the heart of a freerunner is strong, and so you break free.

Price 5.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 03 Dec 2013

Mutant Mudds Deluxe

Love pixels? Fond of platformers? Is there a special place in your heart for the 8-bit and 16-bit era? Want to have fun? Yes!? Well, you’ve come to the right place, my friend. Mutant Mudds Deluxe is a “12-bit” action platformer full of pixels and platforming fun!

Price 9.75€
Rating 7.1
Release 21 Nov 2013

Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive

"Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive" is the first strategy game ever to combine a movie-based and story-driven atmosphere of an adventure game with the intellectual challenge of a real time tactic game.In this western-style title, discover a game of strategy and tactics played out in exceptional real time.

Price -75% 1.24€
Rating 8.4
Release 20 Nov 2013

Eryi's Action

One fine day, Eryi went to eat the melon that she had been SO looking forward to... but it was nowhere to be found! Then she noticed a note on the table. She picked it up and read: "Your melon looked delicious, so I took it. From Farta X" Fuming with rage, Eryi set out from her house to get her melon back from Farta.

Price 4.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 19 Nov 2013

Bloody Trapland

Bloody Trapland is a fast-paced multiplayer platformer where the levels are filled with dozens of dangerous traps and tricky jumps that stand in your way! Play co-op with your friends or take on the challenges on your own. With support for up to 4 players at once, local and/or online.

Price 4.99€
Rating 7.9
Release 18 Nov 2013

Risk of Rain (2013)

Risk of Rain is an action platformer with roguelike elements. With permanent death as a primary feature, players will have to play their best to get as far as possible. Fight on a mysterious planet with randomly spawning enemies and bosses, either alone or with 3 friends in online co-op.

Price -80% 1.99€
Rating 9.1
Release 08 Nov 2013

Long Live The Queen

Rule the world or die trying!Being a Princess is not an easy job. Being a Queen is even harder. Especially when you're only fourteen years old, and the reason you've inherited the throne is that your royal mother has just met an untimely end.Now power is up for grabs.

Price 9.75€
Rating 9.2
Release 08 Nov 2013

A Walk in the Dark

In this action platformer you play as a cat, Bast, running through a dark fantasy world. You’ll be running, jumping and sliding with smooth and precise controls designed to make you feel like a cat. But it wont be easy. In the dark you never know what lies in the shadows.

Price 6.89€
Rating 7.5
Release 07 Nov 2013

Intake

Intake is the new retro-futuristic drugstep arcade shooter from Cipher Prime. In this polychromatic love child of Dr. Mario and Ikaruga, you battle a never-ending barrage of pills, pushing your skill and reflexes to the limit to avoid a lethal dosage.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.5
Release 06 Nov 2013

Valdis Story: Abyssal City

Assume the role of Wyatt in this Action/Exploration Platformer as you explore the ruins of a holy city that was lost many years ago. Battle various types of demons, angels, and a new threat known only as the “Ferals”, using swordsmanship, martial arts, and sorcery.

Price 14.99€
Rating 8.1
Release 30 Oct 2013

Slender: The Arrival

Slender Man returns more terrifying than ever. You're on your own. No one to help you. No one to hear you scream. Relive the horror all over again with cutting edge visuals for the 10th Anniversary Update and experience survival horror at its finest.

Price -50% 9.73€
Rating 8.6
Release 28 Oct 2013

Nihilumbra

Discover the beautiful world of Nihilumbra and join Born on his adventure to find himself whilst trying to escape from his inevitable curse. Born was created from the absolute nothingness: The Void. But somehow he separates himself from the black emptiness and appears in the world.

Price 6.99€
Rating 8.5
Release 25 Oct 2013

FORCED: Slightly Better Edition

FORCED is a challenging 1-4-player game with co-op at its heart! A mix of tactical arcade action, RPG elements and puzzles will forge you and your friends together. As slaves in the toughest gladiator school of them all, you will face a plethora of unique trials - designed to be your death!

Price 13.99€
Rating 7.2
Release 24 Oct 2013

Syder Arcade

Killing zombies never gets old, but sometimes you just need a break. Get back to some serious old-school gaming with Syder Arcade! Syder Arcade is a love letter to Amiga games of the ‘90s, no coins, no upgrade grinding, just your tenacity and a motherload of alien invaders.

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.9
Release 24 Oct 2013

Tetrobot and Co.

Tetrobot is the world's most popular and reliable robot, but he's not perfect. That's why I, Maya, have built him a microscopic little brother, Psychobot.Help me guide Psy through Tetrobot's cogs and circuits: by swallowing blocks of matter and spitting them out, we can repair anything.

Price 9.75€
Rating 8.9
Release 22 Oct 2013

Super Amazing Wagon Adventure

Super Amazing Wagon Adventure is a fast-paced 2d shooting game with a random story. You control a group of three migrants traveling west along a wagon trail. The game consists of short scenes that are sequenced together in a semi-random way to tell a crazy adventure story.

Price 2.99€
Rating 9.1
Release 17 Oct 2013

140

140 is a challenging minimalistic platformer with abstract colorful graphics. Rhythmic awareness is required to overcome obstacles controlled by an energetic, yet melancholic electronic soundtrack.

Price -30% 3.51€
Rating 8.9
Release 16 Oct 2013

Democracy 3

Have you ever wanted to be president? or prime-minister? Convinced you could do a better job of running the country? Let's face it, you could hardly do a worse job than our current political leaders.

Price 24.50€
Rating 7.3
Release 14 Oct 2013

Knights and Merchants

KNIGHTS and MERCHANTS recreates the era of the Middle Ages. Apart from the purely fictitious geography of our world, all game elements and scenes are based on the Anglo-Saxon period, 1200 A.D. And we haven't used imaginary elements like fabled creatures, either. The player takes on the role of an ordinary captain in the Palace Guard.

Price -50% 4.87€
Rating 8.2
Release 14 Oct 2013

Soundodger+

Dodge the music and dance through a mesmerizing ballet of choreographed bullets, each synced to music from over a dozen international artists. Push your creativity and skills with the fully-featured Level Editor and never run out of things to dodge.

Price 7.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 11 Oct 2013

Escape Goat

Escape Goat is a puzzle platformer where you take control of a goat, who has been imprisoned for witchcraft, and overcome traps and obstacles to escape the Prison of Agnus. Fear not, for with your supreme agility, sturdy horns, and the help of a magic mouse friend, you can turn the tables on foes and use the environment to your advantage.

Price 4.99€
Rating 9.0
Release 09 Oct 2013

Cook, Serve, Delicious!

One of the few hardcore restaurant sims in existence, Cook, Serve, Delicious! is a deceptively easy game to learn but incredibly challenging to master as you progress through your career from owning a terrible zero star cafe into a five star world famous restaurant.

Price -90% 1.00€
Rating 9.1
Release 08 Oct 2013

Knock-knock

There is an unusual cabin deep in the woods. It had served as a laboratory and a dwelling for three generations of Lodgers.But as of late the latest Lodger has been noticing weird changes in familiar surroundings; things are missing, noises and rattle heard. Something odd is coming out of the woods.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.3
Release 04 Oct 2013

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - Rise of the Owlverlord

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - Rise of the Owlverlord is a blistering platformer with morphing worlds, featuring seven brand new levels, a new boss and new gripping tracks from Chris Hülsbeck and Machinae Supremacy! Dash through tricky levels and transform the whole world at will in this fast-paced platformer.

Price -80% 1.00€
Rating 7.7
Release 26 Sep 2013

Alien Rage - Unlimited

Unleash a fury of powerful weapons as you blast your way through armies of Alien forces hell-bent on taking you down! Battle through 14 intense levels and prepare to face a barrage of beastly-sized bosses that will test your every skill. Each of your 10 weapons comes with two firing modes and you’ll need all of them!

Price 19.99€
Rating 6.6
Release 24 Sep 2013